The discoveries made with Assetto Corsa Competizione in our previous article were enough to cool my enthusiasm. So many variables—it’s enough to make your head spin! It was probably the perfect time to take a break from ACC and dive into another sim. And I must say, Le Mans Ultimate was becoming more and more tempting.
Mea Culpa
I’ve been quite harsh on this sim in the past. To be fair, its launch was anything but smooth sailing. I had set it aside, waiting for improvements, as my first experience wasn’t great.
And what a surprise to see that Studio 397 has worked hard! While there are still a few negatives, the most important thing is here: driving pleasure! I’m also pleasantly surprised by the simplified settings. Of course, you can still tweak things further, but compared to its Italian counterparts, it’s much more user-friendly. Excellent point!
Test Conditions
• Game: Le Mans Ultimate
• Season: 2024
• Category: Hypercar
• Tracks: Spa, Le Mans, Bahrain
• Wheelbase: ClubSport DD 12Nm
• Pedals: P1 SIM Mistral
• Display Setup: Triple Samsung G5 34” – 10320×1440 resolution
Steering Rotation
As usual, I set my base to 50% of its power and adjust the force feedback (FFB) in the game accordingly.
The goal is to focus on the wheel rotation. While I assumed some manual adaptation would be necessary, I wanted to see if, by some miracle, the game would handle it automatically.
Unfortunately, unless I missed something, it doesn’t. At least, I wasn’t able to get a convincing result with this stunning Ferrari 499P. After some testing, the ideal steering rotation seems to be: 480°
The car responds extremely well to my inputs and, as we’ll see later, offers excellent tire management—a crucial element in this sim!
📌 Using the correct steering rotation allows us to fully explore the physics within the proper operating range.
What’s Next ?
I wanted to understand if the physics tricks I discovered with the Ferrari 296 in Assetto Corsa Competizione would also work here. And to my surprise, yes!
Ride height and seating position also play a role in force feedback. Perhaps in a more subtle way, as if, unlike ACC, Le Mans Ultimate is much better balanced.
📌 SUGGESTION:If you own a P1 SIM wheel, I highly recommend mapping the rotary encoders to these settings. There’s nothing better than adjusting parameters while driving.
Simple and effective for adjusting the value while driving.
Of course, my results may vary depending on your preferences and expectations. Let’s not forget that each piece of hardware has its own characteristics that can influence the experience.
For me, increasing the seat height by 3 units while also moving back 3 units gives me a perfect balance. I can clearly feel an improvement in the car’s behavior. Now, time for the final tweaks!
The Delicate Balance of FFB
I first focused on the overall strength of my base. For reference, I’m running 12 Nm on my Direct Drive ClubSport DD. At 70, the steering feels both resistant and informative, allowing me to focus on two key elements:
✅ The FFB from the direct drive base
✅ The FFB from the game
I started by lowering the ClubSport FFB while gradually increasing the in-game FFB. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different approaches to feel the many details the tracks offer.
Soon enough, an ideal balance emerged:
• 43 for the FFB on the ClubSport DD
• 69 for the FFB in the game
The signal doesn’t get overloaded, and even during strong inputs, it remains informative and consistent.
Honestly, driving this Ferrari P499 on such an iconic track as Le Mans is pure joy.
A Real Favorite!
To be completely transparent, I’m extremely surprised by the results.
Like a frog turned into a prince, Le Mans Ultimate now has incredible charm. I can’t wait to test more cars and continue sharing my thoughts with you.
While we’ve previously discussed the complexity of simulations, here, it’s clear that you can quickly start having fun and focus on pure driving.
As someone who has always spent countless hours in Kunos sims, I think my sim racer heart is starting to lean toward this title.
Can’t wait for what’s next!
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